Nov. 29, 2023

After 30 years of feeding Sioux Falls diners, Chef Tina Kuehn is retiring and closing her downtown restaurant.

“I figure it’s time to leave while you’re ahead, while I can still walk out the door,” she joked while prepping food for one of the final dinners at K Restaurant.

That First Friday meal and a wine dinner in December sold out so quickly after the announcement of her retirement earlier this week that Kuehn added a second wine dinner, which also filled up within hours.

Kuehn joined the Sioux Falls dining scene in 1993, opening Kristina’s Cafe & Bakery in part of the space that now is Fernson Downtown at 12th Street and Phillips Avenue. The restaurant went through a few name and ownership changes before becoming K Restaurant in 2008 in its final home along the boardwalk at 8th & Railroad Center. Four years ago, she switched from serving lunch and dinner to focusing on wine dinners and other special meals, along with catering.

When the Sioux Falls native returned home after attending culinary school in California and Minneapolis and working in the Twin Cities, downtown wasn’t filled with restaurants like it is today.

“It’s interesting to see how times have changed,” she said.

Back then, “it was really hard to find people that were cooking seriously and waiting tables seriously.”

Eventually, “I got a great group of people, friends now, and those are the ones who are cooking now in Sioux Falls.”

Palates have changed too, Kuehn noted.

“I remember when black pepper was too spicy. Now for people, the spicier the better.”

Kuehn brought seasonal menus and a focus on cooking everything from scratch.

“I loved South Dakota comfort food but putting a twist on it.”

Her double grilled cheese sandwich and pulled pot roast on a ciabatta bun were favorites at lunch. Short ribs and polenta were popular for dinner, and Kuehn liked to do fish entrees.

She enjoyed taking old recipes and reintroducing them, noting that she was baking her mom’s recipe for oatmeal date rounds for this week’s First Friday dinner.

So what’s next for the chef?

First, there’s a knee replacement in January – “30 years of abuse on your legs, it catches up.” Surgery on the second knee will follow eventually, she predicts.

“I’ll definitely keep my fingers in some things,” Kuehn said. “I have offers from some of my friends to use their kitchens,” which would make catering for small events an option. Other possibilities include helping other restaurant owners, teaching cooking classes and making special meals for people in their homes.

“Maybe I’ll do a cookbook – things like that that every old cook does,” she joked.

Other than cooking, “I live out on an acreage that I haven’t spent a lot of time on over the years. Maybe travel more. I love to travel … but up until a year or so ago, I hadn’t taken over a week-and-a-half vacation, and always before that, it was five days max.”

She’s turning 60 next year, so she realizes there is still time to do more, but this chapter is ending.

“I get emotional about saying goodbyes, so I don’t like to say goodbye. I’ve had the best staff and the best customers over the years,” Kuehn said. “I can’t complain about anything.”